Liberal green light for Chinese takeover deal a turning point for Canada: experts

The Trudeau government's decision to approve a Chinese takeover deal originally rejected in 2015 as too risky for national security marks a significant shift in Canada's approach to Beijing, and may encourage China to invest more heavily in cutting-edge Canadian firms that might have been considered off-limits before, experts say.

Hong Kong-based O-Net Technology Group announced this week that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet had given it the green light to purchase ITF Technologies of Montreal, a leader in fibre-laser technology. Applications for such technology include directed-energy weapons.

This represents a complete reversal in Ottawa's attitude to this deal, which the Harper government in 2015 blocked after national security agencies warned them the transaction would undermine a technological edge that Western militaries have over China.